un: agonyuncle | text

[fatedfinality]

[ Today is a... complicated one for Ardyn, to say the least. No one but him knows why though and he'll likely keep it that way.

He has, however, gotten extremely drunk about it and that lends itself to him asking a query on the Etrayan network: ]


What does fate mean to you?

[ He appreciates now more than ever the auto-correct feature. He should probably invest in some reading glasses eventually, but that'll be a problem for Ardyn-with-a-headache-from-squinting-in-the-dark-at-a-small-screen and not the Ardyn of now. ]

Comments

[fatedfinality]

He is quite terrible. The 'Bladekeeper' is another one of his monikers- And let me tell you from personal experience, those blades are rather sharp.

I tried to fight against him. It didn't work out so well, admittedly, and part of the reason I know what the end of his sword does feel like.

I take it your Bahamut isn't quite so unforgiving?

[oblige]

I am my world's Bahamut, at least within my lifetime. As others before me, I'm to defend and serve my people, not put them to the blade.

It is difficult to imagine one who instead better resembles Ultima.

To what end does he wield his power?

[fatedfinality]

So your Bahamut needs a vessel, is that it? Interesting.

To serve mankind, so he says- He is one of the six Astrals that graced our star some eons ago but unlike the others rules on high in a different plane. He claims that everything about our existence is preordained by him; I suppose trying to prove that point and go against his word was my own folly.

[ What is it the youths say? He fucked around and found out, that's it. ]

[oblige]

Those like myself are born thus; it is not limited to Bahamut alone.

Were your lives truly predetermined, surely defiance could not occur at all. He sounds more tyrant than guardian.

[fatedfinality]

Oh, he is. A horrible one.

But also a powerful one. If there is a way to defeat him, we've yet to find it. So, until then, we're all more or less subject to his 'grand plan' for humanity.

[oblige]

So none have the power necessary to resist?

[ Might it not have been the same in his own world, were it not for Dominants? ]

It seems far too many worlds are subject to the whims of cruel gods.

[fatedfinality]

None that we know of. There is a 'King of Kings' he's chosen that's supposed to save us all, but...

That's still according to his decree.

It is an unfortunately common story though, it seems. Even here, this 'Echo' seems to hold all the power and has no qualms leaving us more or less in the dark.

[oblige]

Cruel gods and chosen ones seems a trend as well.

Echo may be no god, yet I couldn't argue with that comparison.

[fatedfinality]

So it seems. Maybe Echo simply likes tales of tragedy?

And while it's not a deity, exactly, it is something close enough to be just as frustrating.

[oblige]

That does seem entirely possible.

It would make a certain sense of prior missions, as well.

[fatedfinality]

I've only been on a couple of them so far but there does seem to be a certain trend among them.

Dying or decaying worlds, things not quite as they seem under an idyllic surface... Makes me worry about how our worlds might have changed even if saved.

[oblige]

Do you suspect they will be altered in some manner?

[fatedfinality]

My case might be unique, but Eos was already fated to be brought to the brink before being saved.

It didn't need to prove anything more to be worthy of salvation in the first place. So why is Echo demanding that of us now? What changed?

Or, the other consideration I had: Echo is running on faulty parameters. Perhaps near-deaths of worlds still trigger its intervention and pulls people here from them unnecessarily. Even if things would ultimately resolve on their own, it doesn't recognize that and only senses the danger beforehand and feels it needs to assist.

[oblige]

My world was also facing its own existential threat.

I could believe this system is deeply flawed, given all that we do see often seems arbitrary, or meant for some onlooker's amusement.